HINDSVILLE (KFSM) -- In an age where family farms feel like something from the past, there are still plenty of them scattered around Northwest Arkansas.
A local family farm in Washington County was recognized for its contributions to agriculture Tuesday (June 7) by the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
For Kendall and Stephanie Pendergraft, farming has been a tradition, and their dedication was rewarded when they were named the Washington County Farm Family of the Year.
The Pendergraft's homestead sits outside of Hindsville, in the corner of the county near the Benton and Madison County lines.
"I've farmed all my life. [My wife] grew up on a farm as well," said Kendall Pendergraft. "We used to have a dairy farm. We sold the dairy farm and now we have beef cattle and poultry."
The couple has two children. Their son Tyler now has his own farm with several broiler houses nearby on the 1,000 acres the family manages. He said he is doing what he's always wanted to.
"I always enjoyed growing up on a farm," said Tyler Pendergraft. "We had a dairy when I was a kid and I got to do things that other kids did not, whether it be drive a tractor or work with the cattle."
Kendall said no matter how tough the industry may get, he knows that they will make it work, calling it the family's way of life.
"It is getting bigger and bigger and harder and harder to make it work," said Kendall Pendergraft. "It is what we enjoy, and we wanted to raise our kids on the farm and in a rural setting, and we enjoy that and the farm life."
The family will now compete with other farms selected in Northwest Arkansas for District Farm of the Year before a state winner is chosen in July.
"It is a great honor. There are a lot of great families out there and now you do not see a lot of families staying home like they used to," said Stephanie Pendergraft, who manages the books for the farm. "It takes someone going to town and working, so we are very honored."